Blood Reprisal
by Kaellia
Summary: { updated and edited } When Naruto awakes to his parents' dead bodies, the only clue he could find was the Uchiha Fan. Now he has dedicated his life as a vampire hunter, never resting until the murderer, Uchiha Itachi, is dead. AU. { SasuNaru Yaoi }
1. Chapter One

**B l o o d R e p r i s a l** by Kaellia.   
**R a t i n g** : R - NC-17.   
**G e n r e** : Horror. 

**S u m m a r y** : _When Naruto awakes to his parents' dead bodies, the only clue he could find was a symbol: The Uchiha Fan. Now he has dedicated his life as a vampire hunter, and he will never rest until the murderer, Uchiha Itachi, is dead. AU. _

. A u t h o r ' s . C o r n e r . 

_Okay, I lied. This is the first chapter. The only chapter that I've written so far. I know I said that I'm going to write a bit into it and then start releasing it, but my FanFiction account has been dead for so long that I just needed to upload this. Please forgive me. ;-;_

_Well, I've always wanted to write a dark, horror fic...even though this fic doesn't seem all that scary. Naruto is a bit OOC because he doesn't really go with the whole dark thing, being all blonde and loud, but just play along, okay? And whilst the gagging and pointing out "Oh, that's wrong", and "He is _so_ out of character", please enjoy reading this fic. :3 And while you're at it, make a little review or two. :D If you do, I shall adore you forever and ever and ever with every single fiber of my worthless, fangirl being. -glomp.- And, oh yeah, it's rated R, so use your brain and try to imagine what you're about to read. So that means yaoi, language, incest (Hyuuga-style ;D), and lossa lossa violence. Read at your own risk. I will not be held responsible for little minds being scarred forever. And hey, it might even reach NC-17..._

_This fic is dedicated to my bestest friend, Leah, because she loves these kinds of stories, and my absolute bestest-estest friend, Tina, because I just plain love her to death and so should everybody else. :D Oh oh, and Tracy-kin, my Angst-buddy, because she promised to be my #1 reviewer, and she's the most awesomest person ever. x3 Plus, you should go read her fics. They'll knock your wig off. xD _

- N o t e - I don't think that this fic is going to be particular angsty... xD Sorry, Tracy. 

D i s c l a i m e r : Well, I do not own Naruto, but I can still dream, can't I? 

- **C h a p t e r O n e** -

The night was silent. No wind blew, and no crickets chirped. The only sound that could be heard in the vicinity were the soft sounds of his footsteps as he crept cautiously through the dark, ominous alleyway. Up above in the sky, the moon was hidden behind the walls of the buildings, and there was no emitted light to guide him down the way. He decided to crouch down to get closer to the ground and instantly caught sight of a trail of an unknown fluid that seemed black in the darkness. It was blood. He could smell the vile stench of the substance as he dipped is fingers into the puddle and brought it up to his lips. He brought his tongue out from between his lips, the very tip just slightly touching the fingertips of his glove, tasting the substance. Yes...it was blood. And where blood separated from its possessor abided surely meant that his target was nearby. Vigilantly, he continued forward, his gun clutched tightly at his side. 

Suddenly, behind him, he heard a woman moaning. He turned around to ascertain the sound and saw indistinctly two black figures pressed tightly against each other from across the other side of the street just underneath a particularly weak-lighted lamppost. One figure was surely the woman, who sighed heavily and whimpered in either pleasure or pain. The other one stood behind her, one hand clutched firmly around her head, and the other around her thin waist, with his face buried deeply within the side of her neck. If he hadn't known any better, he would have guessed that these were just two nightly lovers, exercising their forbidden affair where nobody could see them; however, his sources told him otherwise. 

_Jackpot_, he thought within his mind as his lips twisted into a smirk. He made sure that his weapon was in full supply of bullets as he cocked his gun and brought it out from its holster. He closed one eye and avidly took aim at the figure behind the woman, who he was sure was his target. His finger was just about to pull against the trigger when the woman suddenly opened her eyes and saw him. She gave a small scream, and the next thing he knew, the other figure was gone, and the woman's body slumped over on the sidewalk, motionless. 

"Well, I wonder what kind of person you are, spying on two lovers in the middle of the night. What's the matter, can't get any yourself?" whispered a smug voice just behind him. He simpered but did not reply to the rhetorical question. Without having to look back, he grabbed the other's arm, twisted it behind him, and in an instant, he had him steadily crushed against the wall of the alleyway, his foot planted painfully into the man's back. "This strength... You're not a normal, are you?" the man acknowledged. The free hand that the man had that was not twisted behind his back was gripping a knife, an act that he had failed to notice. Before the knife had the chance to score, however, his grip upon the man's arm loosened as he jumped back to avoid the blade. 

"No. And neither are you, _vampire_." 

And that was when the intense battle began. The vampire sneered at his observation. Of course, he was correct. The vampire charged from the human, his knife forcefully clutched within his tight fist and taking a swing, only for the human to dodge with ease. Swing after swing, he continued to evade the attack, until the wall prevented him from avoiding the knife any longer, and the dagger came straight towards him. He moved slightly to the right, in an attempt to elude it, but he wasn't fast enough, and the blade pierced his coat right into his left shoulder, just missing the heart. He hung his head as the pain stung cogently, but he did not allow it to bother him. Assuming that the blade had hit the heart, the vampire left the knife in his shoulder and started to walk away. He watched the vampire in amusement. Obviously, this one was not very intelligent. It would take a lot more than a little stab to stop him from turning this guy to dust. 

"Heh heh heh... You're too careless," he laughed out loud and looked up to face the undead figure, his fingers curling over the black hilt of the knife and yanking it out of his bleeding flesh. "Next time, make sure your prey is properly dead before you walk away from the battle," he twirled the knife freely between his fingers. "You can't kill somebody by just stabbing him in the shoulder." Suddenly, with a quick movement, he dashed past him, stabbing the vampire's own knife into his back, and pointed his ready gun just above the area. Feeling the vampire's muscles tense up, he pulled the trigger. A quiet _bang_, softened by the sound of his silencer, ensued as the bullet tore through the vampire's skin and into his flesh. "It takes a while for it to happen, but these bullets contain the magic of the witches that have the only power to kill your species. Within a few seconds, the magic will leak from the bullet and burn your innards with power equivalent to the white-hot intensity of one thousand suns. Are you ready for that pain?" 

"What the fuck?" the vampire demanded, feeling his body already starting to heat up, and his skin beginning to dry and crack. He stared down at the boy, his eyes burning with murderous intent, although now that this damned bullet was lodged into his body, he was powerless to do any harm. "Who the hell _are_ you?" he had been defeated so easily. There was no way that this little twerp was even human. Even if he was, he must have been enabled with some foreign power. 

There was a brief silence. Right before the remains of the vampire were scorched to ashes just like the rest of his body, he spoke, "Uzumaki Naruto. Vampire Hunter." 

With that, all the flesh had burned from the other's body, and the bones collapsed , now reduced to nothing but gray cinders. The mission was complete. He took a small vial from his pocket and gathered some samples of the ash into it, and then turned to face the woman, who was half-fainted on the sidewalk. He walked over to her and picked her limp body up in his arms. "I'm sorry, miss, but I'm going to have to take you in with me," when she did not object, he took his cell phone from his belt and dialed a number to call his employer. The secretary picked up the phone. "This is Uzumaki. Target, Inuzuka Kiba, has been removed. Mission is now completed. Now ready to fly to the Sound Country. Tell the Hyuuga that I just went on a little vacation. Even a hunter needs his breaks." 

"All right, Uzumaki-san, your jet shall arrive to your location momentarily. Will there be any passengers boarding the vehicle along with you?" the secretary questioned for record's note. 

"Yes, in fact, I have a fainted young lady with me right now. A victim of the target. A lot of blood has been drained from her. Looks around her early twenties," he replied, examining the girl's face. It was difficult to make out her exact details in the dark street, where there were barely any lights. "We should get her to the Konoha hospital before setting out for the Sound Country. And I'm going to have to speak to her when she awakes," he then hung up the cell phone, and within a few minutes, his own private jet was seen above and pulled into a safe landing on the street. He stepped inside, placing the collapsed woman on the seat, and ordered the pilot, "Konoha, _now_." The pilot nodded, and he used the time he had before they arrived at their destination to treat the woman's wound. He did not know how much the vampire took, but her complexion appeared to be extremely pallid, and that gave him the comprehension that they had to bring her to the hospital and get some blood into her, fast. 

Underneath the bright light within the jet, he could now clearly distinguish the woman's features. It was true, she looked around her early-twenties or so, probably around his age, and her dark, indigo hair only went down to her mid-neck in length. She looked rather familiar. While pressing a cloth against her neck to stop the bleeding, he took off her jacket and searched through the pockets, for any hopes of her carrying some ID. In her purse, his hands came across her wallet. He opened the small, black leather pouch and caught sight of a picture of Hyuuga Neji. _His employer_. He studied both the picture and the woman for a moment. Why would this girl have a picture of Hyuuga in her wallet? Did she perhaps know him in some way? The answer came to easily when he realized what her name was. Of course. She was _Hyuuga Hinata_. No wonder she seemed familiar to him. After all, they had both attended the same high school. He then decided to put the wallet inside his jacket's pocket. 

Peering outside the window, he could see the day starting to light up as dawn made its appearance and spread light upon the world. As the hours passed, he felt the jet slowly descending past the thick, white wisps of clouds, and the Fire Country came into view, giving him a sense of relief as once again, he was home. The Fire Country was so beautiful. Possibly the most beautiful out of all the other countries. Although they had many urbanized areas that have been conquered by heavy industries with their many buildings and artificial life, there are also many areas of which the beauty of its wondrous nature was preserved. With its giant, ancient trees that built forests and wide, open fields where the healthy flora bloomed, it was no astonishment that so many tourists came to visit. He always did love coming to these places. But this time, his spirits descended with the jet as they flew over the emerald patches and landed on the black, tarmac runway of the airport. 

The cloth that he had held to Hinata's neck was now soaked crimson with blood, so he flung it to the side and used a new one. It was already halfway into the day, and her chances of survival were beginning to become questionable. Calling a taxi, he placed her into the back seat and got into the front passenger seat, directing the driver to the Konoha hospital. When they arrived, the doctors and nurses rushed Hinata away on a stretcher, into the emergency room. He did not feel as if the wound in his shoulder needed any special treatment, so he bandaged it up roughly by himself. Thanks to that damn vampire, his jacket was ruined. Sighing, he got back into the taxi that took him back to the airport, where his jet was waiting for him. When he boarded, it once again took flight, and they headed towards the Sound Country. 

The journey and his stay in this country was going to be awkward. This country was quite difficult for him. They had been a longtime enemy of the Fire Country, and being from Konohagakure, he did not expect the citizens of this land to cooperate well. The two countries had been at war for as long as he could remember after the Sound broke the peace treaty. They were not too welcome with outsiders, and if they were ever to discover that he came from the enemy territory, he would definitely find his head detached from the rest of his body. His mission, however, although not technically assigned to him, was far more important than to worry about the connection of his body parts. This was where he heard that the vampire, Uchiha Itachi, was last spotted, and he was going to find him. He asked around the stores if they had seen Uchiha or have even heard rumors as to where he was hiding, but the managers instantly kicked him out, screaming for him never to mention that horrid monster ever again. It was clear that they had indeed heard of Uchiha Itachi. Being the most infamous and feared vampire from their world, he had made numerous enemies and was hated by countless nations, especially the ones of the Sound Country. 

"You're asking about Uchiha Itachi, eh?" asked a raspy voice from behind him, and he turned around to face the one who spoke. It was an old man who dwelled on the side of the streets, clutching an empty, broken beer bottle in his hands. 

"Actually, yes, I am," Naruto replied and approached him. Instantly, he sense of smell was besieged with the revolting reek of alcohol. The man's eyes were hidden underneath his ragged cloak, but he could see his drooling mouth that displayed a repellent set of decaying, brown and yellow teeth. It took him great restraint not to just turn and walk away. But after all, he was a vampire hunter, and he had to deal with _their_ abominable stink every day, didn't he? 

"Yeah, I've seen him around here before," the man spoke, his speech coming out drunken and slurred. "He passed by once and didn't exactly leave quietly, either. He left this huge trail of blood from anybody who met them creepy, red eyes of his. But if you're trying to find him here, I'd say good luck with that. He left a long time ago. But I do know this one guy who'd know where this devil is. He's been keeping track of him for a long time and never misses his latest activities. This guy's name is Orochimaru. And his business is in that building over there," the man used the hand holding the beer bottle to point at a a tall building at another street that stood out from the rest. "But have fun. He won't like you much." When he brought the thin, brittle arm down, the beer bottle crashed against the ground and pierced some of the man's own, saggy skin. 

"Thank you for the information," Naruto nodded and proceeded towards the building, glad to finished dealing with this man. _Orochimaru, eh?_ That name seemed oddly familiar to him, somehow. He was certain that perhaps Hyuuga or somebody else had mentioned that name once or twice. Maybe if he had actually paid attention to some of Hyuuga's lectures, he would have an idea about this person that he was looking for. But to be able to keep track of where Uchiha Itachi was hiding, this Orochimaru must either be a vampire hunter or a very high-ranking vampire. Judging by the fact that all the blinds of the building were pulled down, he would put all of his money on _vampire_. Not a single ray of light could shine through the canopy. A strange aura lured about the building, and slowly, as he approached it, he had second thoughts about entering. It sent him a harrowing feeling... Luckily, just as he was about to enter the building, his cell phone rang. He peered at the caller ID. It was Hyuuga. 

"Uzumaki speaking," he answered, holding the phone a little distance from his ear, knowing what to expect. 

"_Uzumaki Naruto!_" screamed the voice from the cell phone. His muscles stiffened up at the deafening yell that pierced his eardrums. "Where the hell are you? I have waited for you for hours now to report to the base! It does not take that long to reach the Fire Country from the Wind Country. TenTen has already informed me that your mission has been completed, and now you're going on some sort of 'vacation'? I have not given you any permission to take any sort of vacation, and certainly not to the Sound Country! I want you to get on your jet and turn back right now and get your worthless ass to the base or I'm going to take away your gun and put you on another suspension. That's an _order_, Uzumaki!" before he had a chance to reply, there was a click, and all he could hear was the dial tone. 

He was in for it now. So Hyuuga found out about his plans. And all surely because that loathsome slut of a secretary, TenTen, told him. He should have known. It didn't matter whether or not he requested for this to be held as a secret from Hyuuga. That whore was much too head-over-heels in lust for the man to even listen, and she would jump at any chance, no matter how small, to enter his office and do her shameless flirting. She could be informing him that somebody had died, and still, she would sit there on his desk in her stupid, short, thigh-revealing miniskirt, masticating her gum infuriatingly loud in her big mouth. 

Naruto sighed and walked over to Iruka, his pilot, who was standing beside a nearby shop, trying to blend in with the crowd; however, with his clean, neat black suit, he seemed quite conspicuous. "Iruka, we're going to have to turn back to Konoha. The boss is getting pissed at me again," he scoffed, and Iruka nodded. They had no choice to embark the jet once again and fly to Konoha. _We didn't accomplish anything. What a waste of fuel. But I'll be sure to look into this _Orochimaru_ when I get back_. When was that Hyuuga bastard ever going to allow him to do what he has dedicated his entire life to? Hunting down Uchiha Itachi was the only reason he became a vampire hunter in the first place. But apparently, if that was his purpose, then he had obviously fallen in the hands of the wrong agency. Hyuuga had never been one for vengeance, and he stated that damn well when Naruto came. The moment he set foot into Hyuuga's office that afternoon, his boss completely blew up in his face, probably popping a vein or two. 

"Uzumaki. Why do I have to lecture you over and over about this? You were in the fucking Sand Country, for God's sake. Our country and theirs are at a war. You hear me? A _war_!" he yelled over and over again. For most children, repetition was enough to make them stop doing the things that their parents forbade them to do, but now, even as an adult, Naruto still could not resist himself. "You were so lucky that TenTen told me what you were planning to do before you mad any serious damage." As he went on, Naruto did not pay much attention. And he could think was that hell yeah, TenTen had been there already, if the fact that Hyuuga's tie was skewed and there was a trace of red on his neck had been any indication. "We don't need another reason for battling the Sound Country and put more innocent lives at stake. And what the fuck were you doing there, anyway? You could have gotten killed if they knew that you came from Konohagakure, and they would have done a _lot worse_ if they knew that you belonged to this organization. We have rivals there who are willing to kill us, and it's not a very good idea to simply go there like you're practically gift-wrapped package that screams, 'Kill me!'" 

Naruto slumped over on his chair in a lazy fashion, brushing his golden locks of hair impatiently out of his tired eyes. He had not slept in two days. How many times had Hyuuga given him this speech? He should have known that by now that it was useless. His brain was far too dense to take in any of these words. "Look, Hyuuga," he spoke, holding his hand up to stop his employer from completely exploding. "No need to yell and say it all over again. I know what they are. They hate us. They see us, and they want to murder us. Big deal. It's not like they can. I could totally take them out with this baby if I wanted to," he shrugged, wielding the knife he had acquired from the vampire on his previous mission. "This blade is not bad. Shame the vampire didn't have a chance to use it anymore. Now he's just a pile of dust." 

"That's the weapon that Inuzuka Kiba carried? Don't forget, you still have to file your report and give in his remains, so then we can tell Kurenai-san that her vampire has been taken care of," said Hyuuga. For a moment, Naruto thought that he perhaps forgot about their previous conversation... But that was before he raised his voice to yell all over again. "Now you still didn't tell what the hell you were doing in the fucking Sound Country. And don't say it's not big deal. It _is_ a big deal, and it's that kind of attitude you have that's going to get you killed one of these days. It's the enemy's territory. You trespassed. You go there, and they're going to do the same thing to ours, and even if you didn't do anything to harm anybody there, they don't care. If any of the big guys found out that you were in their terrain, they'll all come and declare war again," Hyuuga's voice broke slightly. Remembering what happened last time the war broke out for him was difficult, and a knot built inside of Naruto's stomach. Of course...he'd forgotten. It was only when they were but little kids when the warriors of the Sound Country attacked and killed Hyuuga's father right before his seven-year-old eyes. 

"Look, Hyuuga, I'm sorry," he apologized quietly, his smartass attitude fading away from him. "I - I'll level with you. I was there to search for Uchiha Itachi - " the words were now just tumbling unconsciously out of his mouth, out of his control. It was as if Hyuuga's guilt trip triggered something in his mind to force his mouth to start revealing information. At the same time, he kept thinking to himself, _Bad move, bad move, bad move. Telling the truth is the worst idea possible. Hyuuga is going to throw a fit now, and your weapon is going to get take away from you_. "Look, before you start yelling again, just hear me out - I wasn't going to do anything, I swear it. I just wanted to go and see if what I heard was true. I mean - " 

"You..." Hyuuga interrupted, his shoulders shaking with anger, and his monochrome eyes narrowed to mere slits in his face. "_You what?_ What was the first thing that I told you when you entered this organization? You may never, and I repeat - _never_ use your powers for revenge! So Itachi killed your family. Killing him is not going to bring them back. The power of the Kyuubi is the greatest of them all, and when the Fourth performed the spell to seal his power within your body, you swore an oath! You swore that you would only use this power for missions and for defense! Not this stupid thing that you call _revenge_. You realize that because of that, you're putting his death in vain," he paused, gasping for breath, and his knuckles turning white. "Uzumaki. When you said that you wanted to become a vampire hunter because you wanted to help, he _believed_ you. And _I_ believed you. He didn't die for you just so you could use these powers for your own purposes. And I'm sorry to say that I'm going to have to put you on suspension for this. Give me your gun, right now," Hyuuga demanded, thrusting his arm out. 

Reluctantly, Naruto searched for his gun that safely tucked into the holster. He stretched out his arm, but paused before he placed it onto Hyuuga's. _Suspension_. This was not going to look good on his records. He then handed it over with great reluctance. 

"Good," growled Huyuga, the anger not disappearing from his eyes as he took the gun forcefully out of Naruto's hands and dropped it into the right drawer of his mahogany desk. "You know the drill - it's two weeks with no missions. I'll give this back to you once you are able to exercise some self-restraint. I'm doing this for your own good, you know, Uzumaki. Vengeance is never the answer, and you won't gain anything that way. You're dismissed." With an exasperated sigh, Naruto started to get up from his chair, but just as he was walking out of the office, Hyuuga spoke up, "Oh, by the way, who was that woman you told TenTen was boarding the plane with you?" 

"Oh, just some woman who was being attacked by Kiba at the time of assassination. Really of no importance," he replied, feeling that perhaps telling Hyuuga the truth might interfere with his plans later on, so he walked out of the office without another word. As he walked down the hall towards the elevator, he passed by one of his fellow associates, Haruno Sakura, who was making her way to her own employer's department to hand in her report from her latest mission. As their paths crossed, he couldn't help but feel a trace of embarrassment. This rose-haired demon hunter had always been somebody he was fond of, and she certainly wouldn't have something good to say to him if she ever found out that he had been put on suspension...yet again. After all, Haruno had always been a woman with great expectations. He quickened his pace and reached the elevator before she could stop to say hello. 

_So. That's another two weeks with no missions and no money. Just great_, he thought with annoyance as he slid into the leather seats of his black Mercedes-Benz and started the half-hour drive home back to his apartment. After the meeting with Hyuuga, it was now the middle of the night again, and the moon had risen in the sky. Living in a city, he couldn't see any stars because of all the light pollution, but even watching the twinkling objects in the sky did not calm his spirits that night. Rigel shone brightly within its constellation of Orion, but he gave it no notice as he parked his vehicle in the basement garage of the apartment. When he reached his room, he could do nothing but collapse on his couch and stare absently at his ceiling. He did not even turn a light on. Instead, he just lied there, motionless and deprived. 

Memories of his past swam accidentally into his mind and implanted within his concentration, forcing him to undergo the different series of events that happened in his earlier life. It was not long ago that he had decided to become a vampire hunter, and he could remember the Fourth's words so clearly in his mind. Hyuuga was right, of course. But then again, Hyuuga was _always_ right, and the guilt wholly consumed him because what he did really meant that he was putting the Fourth's death in vain. They had made a deal, and his end of it was to help the corporation hunt down vampires for the world's sake, not his own. By not fully living up to it, he felt like scum. A hunter worse than garbage. 

It had started a few years ago. Uchiha Itachi, vampire lord extraordinaire, had committed a crime that Naruto could absolutely never forgive. His life from then on was tainted with blood, and the expression on his parents' faces brought nightmares into his sleep and fear into his veins. The Uchiha fan was painted so vividly on his wall in a thick, crimson fluid that from then on was forever his worst trepidation. He had dedicated his life from that moment to hunt down Uchiha Itachi and kill him. The sole purpose of his life, he could never let it go and would go to any means to achieve it. Yes...any means. With a fit of rage, he pushed Hyuuga's voice about the Fourth forcefully from his mind. While it was true that the Fourth Hokage of their organization had performed had sealed the already-dead Kyuubi's powers into Naruto to strengthen him as a newly founded vampire hunter, it was no matter to him. The pain of his parents' death was far worse than the guilt that was brought by the Fourth Hokage's death. How could Hyuuga to him a ever hope to understand that? 

Slowly, he arose from his resting position on the couch and reached over for his jacket to pull something out of the right pocket. Smiling, he walked out of the apartment, feeling a strange desire to visit the hospital. 

. A u t h o r ' s . C o r n e r . 

_Lmao, I'm sorry for all the insults on TenTen. I don't hate her. In fact, I really like TenTen. But keep in mind the voice in that little part was in third person omniscient limited to Naruto's perspective. It was basically talking like he would if we were in his mind, only it wasn't first person._

_Okay, okay. I'll level with you. Everybody's character in this fic is blown way out of proportion. Gah, is there a character who I _didn't_ mess up? Well, it's an Alternate Universe fic, so go figure. I mean, you can't have the main character as a Naruto who frolics about all the pretty flowers. And hey, they're all at least ten years older now, so change is mostly bound to happen, right? Lmao, The only thing that remains the same between the real characters and the characters in here are the names. Anyway, I'm not sure when Sasuke's going to come in. But don't worry, I'll write some good, fangirl-swooning, guy x guy scenes for all of you later to make up for the lack of Sasuke in the beginning chapters. ;D_ - Kae-chan. 


	2. Chapter Two

**B l o o d R e p r i s a l** by Kaellia.  
**R a t i n g** : R - NC-17.  
**G e n r e** : Horror.

**S u m m a r y** : When Naruto awakes to his parents' dead bodies, the only clue he could find was a symbol: The Uchiha Fan. Now he has dedicated his life as a vampire hunter, and he will never rest until the murderer, Uchiha Itachi, is dead. AU.

. A u t h o r ' s . C o r n e r .

_Lmao, I'm so glad that everybody liked the first chapter. xD But like all stories, the first is always better than the second one. e-e; Well, for me, anyway. So I'm sorry if this second chapter doesn't live up to everybody's standards that you have set when you read the first one. And this is the one when Hinata comes in. Oh, and to once again warn everybody, this fic involves _Hyuuga-cest_, which means NejiHina pairing. So if you're completely against this pairing, you probably wouldn't like the following chapters, either._

_I have also decided to change some things in the first chapter, so this one might seem confusing to those who read the first chapter before. But just to clarify some misunderstanding, Naruto now knows Hinata. As in _knows_ knows because they used to attend the same high school. And I know this fic must seem very boring because of the really, really long paragraphs. But I'm sorry - I just can't _stand_ to write short paragraphs. Because...well, because I just can't._

_Oh, yes, and I have also decided to dedicate this fic to my bestest online friend, Jibby, because she's awesome and wants to get nosebleeds during all of the yummy SasuNaru scenes. ;D_

D i s c l a i m e r : There's really no point to the Disclaimer because this is where we know we're just fans who don't actually own the real thing. Why don't we just ditch it?

- **C h a p t e r T w o** -

The awakening was always the hardest thing to do. As she lied on the bed, underneath the thick covers, she found that lifting her eyelids felt like a real chore. Her muscles were so tired, and she simply wished to fall asleep again, but she knew she couldn't. After all, she had no idea where she was or what happened after she had been bitten by Kiba. All she could remember was the searing pain when Kiba sank his long, sharp fangs into her neck that she had so openly presented to him. She could indistinctly remember another figure...it was dark, however, so she could not exactly make out the face of the other being. But she did know that she had fainted after the new one appeared. How many nights ago had this event occurred? How long had she lied on this bed, unconscious and cut off from the rest of the world? Sleeping in a bed was not going to answer any of her questions.

Suddenly, she snapped her eyes open with great disinclination. Because of the sudden opening, the world around her first appeared to be distorted as her mind was attacked by a headache and spun with vertigo, but then her vision sharpened, and everything became clear to her eyes. She looked around, searching for clues as to where she might be. The fact there was a needle stuck in her wrist connected to an IV told her that she was at the hospital. But more specifically, the sign out in the hall revealed to her that she was in the _Konoha_ Hospital. It felt rather weird for her, being back in this city after the five, long years in which she had left. There was no doubt that it was that person who interrupted her and Kiba that brought her back to this place.

She remembered the last time she had come to this hospital. It was because she had been trying to teach herself how to ride a bike to show her father that she really could teach herself how to do something, but ended up crashing into a tree and breaking her arm. Luckily, her cousin Neji, who was a year older, had been present at the time, supervising her, and quickly rushed her to the hospital, where her arm was treated. Oh, the memories of childhood. She had spent so many of those memories with her cousin, and she adored and treasured every single one of them, including the one when she broke her arm. It was too bad that all that had to change when their relationship became much deeper than that of just cousins. She hated her father, for not allowing it, but there was nothing she could do to change his mind.

She looked out the window and noticed the black veil that covered the sky, with a few twinkling objects that shone through. It was night again, although it did not tell her how much time has passed since that last night of which she could remember. She could feel a little twinge of pain in her neck, where she touched with two of her fingers, feeling a bandage wrapped around it. When she pressed down slightly on the painful area, it stung her quite a bit, and a little blood from beneath the bandage seeped through onto her finger, which she quickly wiped off on the sheets. Kiba's bite had not been shallow. He must have been really hungry. After all, she only told him he could take a little bit... He was a vampire, however, and evidently, he would not listen to that if a human neck would be offered to him so easily. She was foolish to ever even trust him.

Tired of sitting in bed and doing nothing, she decided to get up and walk around the room, pulling the IV along with her. She entered the bathroom to wash her face, where she realized that she was wearing one of the hideous hospital gowns that they force patients into. Her image in the mirror's reflection looked horrible. While she was not of those girls who did not make too big a fuss about the way she looked or dressed, she still could not help but feel horrified by what she saw. Her hair was messy and sticking out at different, odd angles, and the circles under her eyes were so dark and noticeable that it looked like she outlined her eyes with excessive kohl. Her lips were snowy white, and her entire face was bloodless. Not a very pleasant look on most girls, and certainly not on her. She washed her face and combed her hair, hoping to achieve a more positive image, but she knew that those dark lines would not go away until she got some decent sleep, and certainly not at such a hospital.

She stepped out of the bathroom and back into her room, where she noticed a tray of food on the bedside table that she had missed before. She ignored it, however, not being particularly hungry. Lying down back on her bed, her mind once again wandered towards the thoughts of her cousin and her father. So she was back in Konoha. Should she, perhaps, pay them a little visit just for some old time's sake? She thought and decided her father, maybe, but probably not Neji. After all, it has been five years now, and she missed him so much. There was no telling what might happen if she couldn't control herself like last time. This time, it might even get a little out of hand.

While she was deep in her own thoughts, she had not noticed the person standing at the doorway, leaning down on the frame. He cleared his throat to make his presence acknowledged, and she suddenly snapped back to her current position and turned to see who it was. It was a boy, probably around her age or so. His clear, cerulean eyes watched her playfully as she remembered that she was wearing the hospital gown, and her face blushed a deep, red color, reaching for the sheets and covering as much of her body as possible. She was sure that the person had noticed, and that made her blush even more.

"Hello, Hinata," he greeted as he stood up straight and started walking towards her. "It's good to see that you're awake. I was kind of hoping that you wouldn't have been dead, you know, because you did lose a lot of blood. Or maybe even go to a coma. So let's see, how did you lose a lot of blood? Oh, yes, that's right, because you were bitten by a _vampire_," he suddenly leaned his arms down on the bed so that they were almost nose to nose. She swallowed, wondering how he could have known and trying to back away; however, the wall prevented her from doing so. And he was now getting really awfully close, and it made her feel uncomfortable. "Okay, I know you're apart of the Hyuuga witch clan, so you're probably not all that unfamiliar with their kind. _But_ you are a witch with immense powers of your own, so please tell me - why would you allow a vampire such as Inuzuka Kiba to bite you so purposefully?"

All she could do was stare. His tone was not harsh - it was actually quite soft, but it still made her flinch. Why _had_ she allowed Kiba to bite her? And, of course, he was correct. It wasn't because Kiba was stronger and got hold of her neck. If she wanted to, she could fully shred off his skin in an instant with her powers. Or even infest his body with dirty, little rodents that would gnaw their way out of his body through his eye sockets. The imagery frightened her, and she shuddered at the thought. Yes, she had allowed him to bite her. And she did not exactly want this guy to know why.

"W - who are you, anyway?" she stammered, deciding not to answer his question right now. "You have no right to ask me this question. I don't know anything about you, and as far as I am concerned, I don't have to answer any of your questions," she declared, looking away from his icy eyes.

For a moment, the boy looked surprised and backed up, but then he smiled. "Hinata, don't tell me you've forgotten who I am. I mean, we went to the same high school together for four years. Don't you remember?" he asked, his voice slightly hurt. She tried desperately to rewind time to recall those treacherous four years. She had never been a very popular one. In fact, she was a dark, isolated girl who was always cut off from the social class and was always shunned to a corner. While other girls like Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino enjoyed all the popularity of being known throughout the entire school, she was beleaguered with the knowledge that she was invisible to everybody else. Her situation wasn't as bad as one particular boy who she could remember, however. That boy was always shadowed in the darkness because of the fear everybody carried for the spirit of the Kyuubi that was sealed inside her body. The boy right before her actually looked a bit like him, in fact -

"Oh my God. N - _Naruto-kun_? Is that really you?" she gasped, finally recognizing him. Of course! How could she have forgotten? It was Uzumaki Naruto, that very boy who she was thinking about, and just evidently the one who she used to have a slight..._thing_ for. She would never be able to understand how she wasn't capable of recognizing his sun-kissed hair and the amiable scars on the sides of his face that only he seemed to have right at once. Maybe she really did lose a lot more blood than she thought that she did. Upon hearing Hinata's realization, Naruto smiled and nodded.

"Of course. And I have come to visit you," Naruto explained, sitting down at the foot of her bed, playfully poking her toes that were safely tucked underneath the sheets. "It's quite amazing, seeing you back here again. I thought you might have been gone forever - you know, you left for five years without contacting any of us or even coming back to visit. But even so, it's quite nice to see you again, Hinata."

"Well, yes, it's nice to see you again, too, Naruto-kun," she smiled and giggled slightly, remembering the way how he used to make her feel. Oh, old high school crushes. They were always so silly. "So what brings you here, Naruto-kun? Were you the one who brought me here?"

"Yes, actually, I am. And I have come on business issues. I was assigned a mission to assassinate Inuzuka Kiba for the multiple deaths that he committed of innocent humans, and you could probably imagine my surprise that when I found him, his victim had been _you_. Why did you allow him to bite you, Hinata? We both know the potential of your power, and there was nothing that could stop you from stopping him," he stared at her extremely seriously and then sighed. "Please, you can't tell me it was apart of one your sympathy things, was it? I mean, seeing a ravenous vampire in the streets, and you felt so sorry for him that you just had to offer a little bit of your blood? You can never trust them. Even if they tell you that they're only going to drink a bit, chances are, if they're hungry, they won't be able to control themselves, very much like Kiba."

"N - no, it wasn't because of that..." she replied, lowering her head and looking down at her knuckles, which had turned white because she was gripping the sheets so hard. The reason had been a really stupid one - even she thought so know that that she remembered what it had been, but she did not feel very comfortable about telling it to Naruto, seeing how they haven't met in over five years. Perhaps it might have been better to say that yes, she did allow him to bite her because of sympathy reasons...but it was too late now. "Y - you probably need this for your report for the mission, right? But...but maybe you could just tell them that I failed to cooperate, and then it wouldn't be your fault. You...you still work for Neji, don't you, Naruto-kun?"

Narut nodded grimly. What was Hinata hiding? They had practically best friends in high school - the kind who would tell each other anything and never keep secrets...and now she was unwilling to tell him why she was with a vampire the night before. It must have had something to do with Hyuuga. Every time Hinata did something that involved Hyuuga in any way, she would never part her lips to speak it. Slowly, he stood up and walked over to the window, where he rested a hand weakly on the glass and looked outside, at all the bright, shining city lights. The room was filled with silent tension for a few moments until he turned back around to look Hinata gravely in the eyes. "I...I have a little favor to ask of you."

Hinata nodded, wondering exactly what kind of request he had in mind. But then he told her. And nothing could stop her eyes from widening with horror from what he had asked of her.

"A - are you crazy?" she shrieked, holding up her hands in front of her to stop him. She looked down, hoping that her hair would be able to cover her face; however, it was very unlikely and her horrid expression was extremely apparent. "G - going to him? And speaking to him just because you want some key that he has? And you don't even know that the place the key opens even has what you are looking for!" after she had calmed down a bit, she slowly put her arms back down, looking back at Naruto's face. "Look, what you're asking of me...don't you see the problem? I - I don't think I could do it.

Naruto sighed, leaning his back against the window and folding his arms across his chest. "I know how you must feel about this, Hinata. For many girls, it would be a simple task to just sit down and speak with him, but for you, it's the most difficult thing possible because you guys have had a history together. But please, this isn't just any key. It's very important, and I need to get it without Hyuuga knowing so because he would fully fire me if he ever found out about it," he rolled his eyes with an annoyed expression. "Just...please. Think about it. Just go and see if you can get the key from him without him noticing. I mean, it's not like I'm asking you to seduce him or something to get it."

"Please, don't even put the images into my head," she muttered, a rouge tinge once again appearing on her cheeks. "But really, Naruto-kun, why do you want the key so bad? What room does it open?"

Naruto did not reply instantly. Instead, he turned away and stared back out the window. Hinata could see his reflection in the glass and noted the solemn look in his eyes as he continued to stay silent. His cerulean eyes appeared slightly greyed in the mirror image, giving them a haunting feeling. Something was paining him. And she only needed one guess to say that it was his past.

_Sleep was a wonderful euphoria to him. Not that he did not enjoy being awake, but because when he was securely tucked inside the comfort of his own bed, with the covers drawn over his body and keeping him safe and warm, it gave him the most pleasant feeling, knowing that nothing could hurt him as long as he was asleep. That night, even though the thunder was resonating so loudly outside, even though the lightning emitted its ominous glow that made objects appear to be more than what they were, even though the long, tree branches outside were swaying against the wind and hitting his window, screeching down the pane, it did not bother him. In fact, he felt no trouble, resting his head on his soft, warm pillow and waiting for the sun to rise from the horizon and lighting the world with its radiance. But never would he imagine that dawn was such a long way off._

_He awoke with a sudden noise that seemed to come from within his house. He opened his eyes and instantly sat up, wondering what it could have been. Sneaking a peek at his clock, he realized that it was only two in the morning. Nobody should be awake at this time of the night. Perhaps it was burglars breaking into his house? Perhaps. It was probably best to wake up his parents to inform them of this. Wrapping his comforter around him - for it was November, and the weather outside was quite chilly - he got up from his bed and made his way into the hall, trying to feel his way down the corridor for there was no light to direct him along the way. Only when he reached his parents' room, he found a sight that would haunt his nights forever._

_His father was not there. Only his mother lied in the bed, completely motionless. When the lightning flashed, he could see a strange black substance around her neck, dripping down the rest of her body. He walked closer to her, trying to figure out what happened, but was hit with a sickening view as he fell back, clutching his stomach. Her eyes were completely lifeless as they stared off into an unknown space that he could fathom. Tears started welling in his eyes as he brought himself down and wrapped his arms around her cold body. There was no doubt that she was dead._

_If his mother was lying here on the bed, then where was his father? The answer came to him when he saw a thin path of blood on the carpet leading out of the room, through the hall and down the stairs. Some hand-shaped tracks were smudged onto the walls. They were his father's handprints. As he made his way cautiously down the stairs, holding tightly onto the railing, he was afraid of what he might find in darkness of the kitchen. He did not have to worry for long, however, as the trail stopped at an object. No...not just an object. A _body_. His father's body._

_"D - Daddy?" he called out in a whisper and bent down closer to examine the body. His wound was similar to what he found on his mother - the blood seemed to come from a gash in the neck, dripping down the body. He was probably already injured when he was still up the bedroom, but had stumbled downstairs to reach for the phone in order to call for help. Being a mere child, he was quick to believe in myths and legends, and type of wound that he found on his parents directed his mind instantly to vampires, creatures of the night who attacked in this fashion. His thoughts were confirmed when he brought his head up to face the wall. On it, with the same substance that covered his parents' bodies, was drawn a symbol._

_A fan._

He did not know how much time passed as he was still deep within his own thoughts. Hinata was still sitting on the bed, gazing at him sadly and tracing the dots on the hospital gown with her fingers as he continued to absently observe the city's behavior. All he knew was that he could never forget it.

_Years had passed. Over five, in fact. And all this time, he had been living alone all this time, trying to seek shelter at any place he could find. Life had never been the same for him again. He dreaded the nights, when nightmares would often crawl their way into his imagination, terrorizing his mind with its menacing touches. The afterglow that he had once bathed in during his peaceful slumbers back in his childhood never returned to him. Never the security of knowing that his parents would always be watching him. Never the warmth again. Instead, all he could feel were chills. Heartless frost spreading over him and covering his world in ice. As he lied there in the snow, mind slowly losing consciousness from the wintry weather, he could not help but feel that maybe everything would be all right again if he just gave up. If he just went ahead and let all these things consume him, he'd be drifting off to utopia._

_His fantasies were torn away when he awoke. As his eyes became adjust to the light as opposed to the darkness underneath his eyelids, he realized that he was no longer outside, lying in the snow under the starry sky. No, he was in a rather strange house. He suddenly sat up, wondering where he could be. This certainly was not the rapture he was thinking about right before he passed out. His paradise would be bright - the glare of the sun would shine warmly and fill his heart with joy. But this place...this place was dark and lit with only a single light bulb right in the middle of the room. And it only filled him with a hollow feeling. A man who he had never before seen walked into the room._

_"Wh - Who are you?" he anxiously questioned, his hands shaking with fear. "Where am I? A - and why have you brought here?" The man did not say anything right away. Instead, he tilted his head in amusement and just stared into his eyes. He then noticed that he and the men shared some of the same features. Their hair were both fair and golden, and their eyes shared a similar, cobalt hue. He may not have known this man, but looking at him made him feel slightly calmer._

_"I found you lying in the snow," the man replied, not looking away. "You should be thankful that I did and brought you here before you caught a cold or died from hypothermia. Besides, a young boy like you shouldn't be lying like that in the cold snow during the night. What's the matter? Don't you have a home to go to or something?" he asked as Naruto shook his head bleakly._

_"No," he said, his voice cracking. "I don't have a home. My parents are dead. And they have been for over five years."_

_"Oh, really? What happened?"_

_He still shook his head. Why was this man asking him these questions? Even though he did not even know the man's name, he felt like he could trust him. It was as if he had actually known him for a long time, like he was an uncle or somebody. But no matter what the relation was, he felt like he was somebody close to him. So he answered. "They were murdered. One night when I was seven years old. I woke up to a strange sound in the kitchen, and when I went to check out what it was, all I could find were their dead bodies. The wounds were not ordinary. And looked as if...as if they were inflicted by vampires," he whispered the last part quietly. "I know it seems stupid because vampires are really mythical creatures created only to frighten the gullible, but...that's just how it really seemed. Becaue they had bite-marks on their necks," he looked up at the man to seek a reply. "I have never found the ones who murdered them, but I want to, and when I do, there is nothing that's going to stop here from ripping out their heart."_

_The man in front of him did not say anything. All he did was put his hand up to his chin, looking as if he was under deep contemplation. "I own an organization," he finally spoke up with an excited look dancing in his eyes. "And you might think that it's stupid to believe that vampires exist, but really, it's not. Because they are real. And the organization that I own is specifically constructed to hunt down any vampires who are causing harm to humanity. And I suppose I could offer you to join, seeing how you feel so strongly about this. But first, you must learn that revenge is never the answer. It only creates more hurt and adds to the darkness inside your heart that had already been brought by these killers. You don't want to sink to their level. But I see some potential in you. Because you know what these vampires are capable of, and you know what they do. The pain they bring to people who they kill the relatives of the ones they kill. Right?"_

_"Yes, I understand. I just want to rid of the world of their entire kind. And - and I really want to help out with it," he declared. He really did._

"Naruto-kun?" came a quiet, timorous voice from behind him. Instantly, Naruto's voice was brought back to the present as he turned away from the window and came to confront Hinata's timid face. "Naruto-kun, are you all right? If...if you really want to do this... Then I guess I could talk to Neji for just a little while and see what I can do about the key," she stared shyly down her her hands, which she had laced together. "After all, I guess I'd be being a little a self-centered if I refused. I mean, it's not like it's like that, either. Like you said, you're not asking me to seduce him," she blushed deeply as she said those last words. They were definitely not apart of her average sentences. "Just please...please talk to me again. This silence is making me a little anxious."

Naruto then came back to her again and sat down right beside her, taking one of her hands into his and caressing the back of her hand gently with his thumb. "I'm not going to force you to this if you don't want to, Hinata. I mean, I know that you and Neji had had a tough past together, and I don't want to force you to endure through all of it if it pains you to remember what happened. The room that the key opens to contains all of the files that earlier hunters of the organization have reported of their missions. I know for a fact that Kyuubi had once encountered Uchiha Itachi, the one who killed my family, and I may be able to get some vital information about him from the files. But I don't hate him nearly as much as I love you as my dear friend. And I don't want to hurt you by my selfish requests but guilting you into it."

Shaking her head, she quickly took her hand away from his and placed it against her heart. "No, no, I really want to do this! For you, Naruto-kun! I...I just don't want to see you like this," as she said this, she threw her arms around Naruto's neck, although it was quite difficult, considering the needle sticking into her wrist. "You're my best friend. I'll do anything for you. Besides, a little talk with Neji shouldn't be hard, right? I mean, we did agree that we'd pretend it never happened."

They remained in that position for a few moments as she could recall the last time she had done this. It had been a little more awkward then. She continued to embrace him until Naruto untangled her arms from around his neck and pulled away. "I'm sure you aren't finding it very comfortable in here. I spoke to the doctor and nurses already, and they said that you're allowed to go in the morning, as long as you eat your food...which I see you haven't done," he stated, eyeing the tray of food beside her bed, and she smiled guiltily. "Well, no matter. You can stay at my place once you get out. We can talk more about it there. But no pressure, okay? You can back down out of it as soon as you want, and I'm not going to stop you. Now you. Get some sleep," he gently pushed her down and bent forwards to kiss her forehead. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

She smiled as he began to walk out. "Yeah. Good night, Naruto-kun," she whispered and tugged the sheets over her body, resting smugly under the covers. A feeling of peace overwhelmed her as she slept, knowing that she would be able to see him again in only a few hours' time. Maybe Konoha wasn't such a bad place. At least she had found somebody who would welcome her back with open arms.

. A u t h o r ' s . C o r n e r .

_Wh00t, another chapter completed! Lmao, I have such a limited vocabulary, so that's why these descriptions and these sentences all sux0rz so much. Anyway, this one didn't have a lot of action, either... Damn it, it doesn't seem like a horror fic at all, except for the vampire thing, and even then, it's not horror! Well, violence will definitely erupt around the middle of the story. I just hope that I'll be able to describe the fight scenes well for everybody to understand everything that's happening. Ah, this chapter seemed really boring to me._

_I tried to make Hinata has less-OOC as possible because I love the shy Hinata, and I can't bear to tear myself from that character. And the thing between her and Neji will be made more clear in the next chapter. I understand that it might be a little confusing right now. And don't worry, Sasuke will come eventually! Maybe next chapter, depending on the way things go. But he is definitely in the fourth chapter. His entrance alone will be enough to initiate excessive blood loss from the noses. ;D_ - Kae-chan.


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